The reviler rebuked: or, A re-inforcement of the charge against the Quakers, (so called) for their contradictions to the Scriptures of God, and to their own scriblings,: which Richard Farnworth attempted to answer in his pretended Vindication of the Scriptures; but is farther discovered, with his fellow-contradictors and revilers, and their doctrine, to be anti-Scriptural, anti-Christian, and anti-spiritual. By John Stalham, a servant of the great bishop and shepherd of souls, appointed to watch his little flock at Terling in Essex.

Section 12.

I Had instanced yet again, about their magnifying the Light which every man hath above the light of Scripture, from what George Fox saith in his Parables, It is the Light* 1.1 that gave forth the Scriptures, and will open the Scriptures to us; and 'tis a more sure word of Prophecy, yea, the Grace that appeared unto all men, &c.

R. F. saith nothing in defence hereof, nor in opposition to what I discovered of its Scripture-contradiction from 1 Cor. 2. 9. It is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entred into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him; yet by what he hath elsewhere, we may not conclude his silence (as to this Section) to be an Argument either of his consent or dissent; but I shall evidence my charge against G. F. a lit∣tle further.

That Christ, the Son of God, gave forth the Scriptures, by his Spirit inspiring them that wrote as he moved and acted them, is a most undeniable Truth: For Christ is the great Light giver; he gives common Creation-light, and he gives special Scripture-light, and all that is truly called Light-given; and he is above all that he giveth: But when men speak of the light given to every man (as G. F. doth) and then attribute as much to it, as to the person of Christ, viz. That the Light [in every man] gave forth the Scri∣ptures, and will open the Scriptures to us; this is palpable darkness, and contradiction to the Scripture I quoted:* 1.2 for as mans eye, or minde (as he is a rational creature, and

but so) never reach'd the things of God, which he hath pre∣pared in a way of salvation for his own; so the Gospel∣light about matters of Salvation (of which the Apostle speaks) never entred, never shined into mans heart; take him, with all the light given him, as a man, before the fall, or since at his coming into the world. Gospel and Salva∣tion-matters never entred into Adams heart before the fall, and since, there is not any of his posterity that (by the light he bringeth with him into the world) can tell what he should do, what way or course he should take to be saved, no more then his first parents, when they hid themselves amongst the trees of the garden. And that light which cannot dis∣cover Salvation, cannot open the Scriptures to us. Nothing gives that which it hath not. Nothing can act beyond the sphere of its activity.

As for what G. F. addeth, [And 'tis a more sure word of prophecy] speaking of every mans light; we will believe him as much as if he told an old wives fable; if either he would have it to be more sure then the Scriptures, or then Gospel-Sermons preached out of, and according to the Scri∣ptures. Heretofore it became a proverb, As true as the Gospel, there being infallible certainty in the Scripture-Gospel; but now there is a Light discovered in every man that will antiquate that Gospel, and put the proverb out of date. There is something in the heart of every man (say* 1.3 they) and that a word of prophecy, or a declaration of Gods minde, for salvation too, (or else 'tis nothing) more sure then all the Gospel throughout the Scripture; and yet (say I) no part of the Gospel at all: For no man shall be able to spell out one Gospel-syllable, or letter in it, or by it, viz. in all that is written in every mans heart, or by all that is writ∣ten there from their coming into the world. And yet it must be with G. F. the Grace that appeared unto all men.* 1.4 Such an expression indeed hath the Apostle, Tit. 2. 11. con∣cerning the free favor of God in Christ, which is the foun∣tain and original cause of Salvation, now shining to all Na∣tions by the Gospel, and saving effectually some of all sorts of men in the world; But as Paul never called every mans light; the Grace of God, i. e. in Jesus Christ (although that

Light be a free gift) so never was it every mans light or gift, nor will be, to understand what is the Scripture-grace of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ; But the Doctrine of it is turned into wantonness, when it is laid waste and common with the universal light of every individual reasonable crea∣ture, which 1. is but a part, a spark of that which Adam had before the fall: 2. Gives not a crevise of light about Christ crucified: 3 Is but a Legal-light and effect of the Law writ∣ten in the old-stony heart of every man.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The light of na••ure no In∣terp••eter of Scripture, and the grace therein re∣vealed.
• * 1.2

  1 Cor. 2. 9. opened.
• * 1.3

  No Gospel, in light of nature.
• * 1.4

  Titus 2 11. vindicated.